GEORGIE’S REVIEW: RICK OWENS SS21
Fri 2 Oct
There's something about a Rick Owens show that puts a fire in your belly. It stirs you in a guttural, visceral way. This one more so than usual. If the menswear film was the opening 'Phlegethon' act, the womenswear show was the dramatic blockbuster main event. But no trumpets, glitter or fanfare this was a monolithic showstopper.
There was showmanship in the white smoke and vast drone visuals (after all this was a Rick Owens show) but the real strength was the grace and dignity amidst the starkness. This was the first show where all the models were wearing masks, fitting for the slightly apocalyptic angst that permeated the collection. There were dramatic pagoda shoulders, thigh-high boots with invisible heel, long, sleeveless leather vests and thick fish-net dresses that wrapped and protected the body. Dark, brooding, tempestuous.
In contrast, candied pinks and vibrant reds peppered the collection on sheer wrap-dresses, leather jackets and boots. Neons added a brightness too. It's too simplistic to say that the brighter tones hinted at an underlying optimism, this was deeper than that, this was a collection that showed tenacity in the face of adversity.